As someone who is interested in self-development, I come across the term ‘side hustle’ an awful lot. I bet you’re in the same position too.
Side hustle is a term that refers to a side project or some kind of hobby that will bring in money. It’s something a lot of people recommend as a way for you to use your time more wisely, make money and generally become ‘successful’.
However, I wanted to take a different take on this hustle culture because I’m tired of hearing the same thing over and over again and I can only imagine that I’m not the only one.
WHAT’S IN A WORD?
First, let’s take a look at what the word ‘hustle’ actually means:
hus·tle
verb
1. To move or act energetically and rapidly: We hustled to get dinner ready on time.2. To push or force one’s way.3. To act aggressively, especially in business dealings.
It’s so aggressive, isn’t it? Look at the words that are being used to describe it: force, aggressively, rapidly.
That’s not really the kind of energy I want to add more of in my life, nor can I imagine will you either.
In the world of social media, hustle refers to working hard and it’s something that everyone is expected to do in order to be successful. Hustling is considered to be a good thing and there is almost no mention of this aggression when people use the term.
HUSTLE AND SUCCESS
I think hustle culture and this expectation of everyone having at least one side hustle puts far too much pressure on us and it’s, quite frankly, so unnecessary.
For those who need to hear it, let me take a moment to say:
You do not need a side hustle in order to be successful or prosperous. No matter what the internet tells you.
There is nothing wrong with having a ‘side hustle’ or creative project that can earn you some extra money. In fact, that’s an incredible achievement and I’m over the moon that you’re able to earn an income doing something you love. Well done you!
However, this isn’t something that is accessible or possible for everyone. Heck, it’s not something that everyone even wants in their life.
So why do we keep putting this pressure on ourselves to hustle?
THE IMPORTANCE OF HOBBIES
It is very important to have hobbies and creative outlets, whatever that may mean to you. We all need a positive way to let off steam in our free time and being creative is perhaps the best way to do that.
This doesn’t mean that you need to make money from your hobbies or that you should expect to make money from them.
Monetising your hobbies can be a brilliant way to earn some extra cash and can even lead to your own business, if that’s what you want to do. And that’s the key thing here – if you want to.
However, I think that the hobbies that don’t make you any money and are simply just a thing you do to have fun are actually more important than any side hustle.
We all need healthy and fun ways to spend our time when we aren’t working – ones that come without any kind of monetary or productivity pressure.
There’s so much pressure already in our everyday lives, no matter what kind of job you have, where you live, or what your current financial position is. We really don’t need to be adding any more into the equation.
BASICALLY…
The moral of the story is if you want to have a side hustle and make some extra money using the skills you have, then that’s amazing. You do you.
But you should never feel guilty for doing something you enjoy, even if that thing is considered to be frivolous and ‘unproductive’. Not everything you do has to add to your bank balance or your career.
We’re allowed to have fun and spend our time in ways that matter the most to us – no matter what social media tells you.
So the next time you feel guilty for being ‘unproductive’ or feel like you’re not doing enough in your life because you don’t have a side hustle like everyone else, take a step back and look at the bigger picture:
- Not everyone has a side hustle anyway
- If you’re perfectly content with your life as it then don’t fall for the pressure that you need to be doing better.
If you want to make changes in your life, then do – for you. But a side hustle mightn’t be the answer you’ve been looking for, so don’t worry about it.
Resources:
- Rejecting Hustle Culture : The Personal Philosophy Project
- Stop Telling Me To Hustle: Ninkcompoop
Take care, friends.
Speak soon,
Rachael.
Photo by Carl Heyerdahl on Unsplash
Rachaelic 